Pg. 69: Michael Boylan's "The Extinction of Desire"

Michael O’Meara had never asked himself this question. A high school history teacher in Maryland, Michael is content to not ask too many questions - until, after a freak accident, he unexpectedly finds himself the beneficiary of a million dollars. As friends, adversaries, and a greedy ex-wife emerge from the background to lay claim to the fortune, Michael finds himself caught up in a number of troubling situations that disrupt his life and leave him questioning everything he had and everything he thought he wanted.

Haplessly swept from the United States and Europe, among international jet setters, the IRA, the Mob, and everyday people, Michael slowly begins to uncover what is truly valuable in life through the teachings of Buddhist philosophy. The Extinction of Desiremaps the course of his voyage, blending philosophy and fiction to discover fundamental truths.

Among the early endorsements for the book:

"Michael Boylan's The Extinction of Desire reads like a fast-paced philosophical fable. Call it Candide, where the best of all possible worlds turns out to be the least exciting. You will read this book in a gulp. It will make you laugh, catch you off guard, and most importantly make you think."--Mark Noll, University of Notre Dame

"The elements of Buddhism in Extinction, no less than the pieces of Western philosophy and literature (e.g., Dante), set the stage for a deeper philosophical journey. Like Kierkegaard's 'knight of faith', Michael O'Meara comes to grasp what he ought to seek. In Extinction we find the subtle development of the philosophy of 'Worldview'."--Robert Paul Churchill, George Washington University